Repository: Special Collections, Carrier Library, James Madison University

Title: David E. Shank Automobile Receipt, 1968

Collection No.: SC 0244Creator: Royal Motor Company

Extent: 1 folder; .08 cubic feet

Language: English

Abstract: The David E. Shank Automobile Receipt, May 16, 1968, documents Shank’s trade-in of a 1964 Cadillac and subsequent purchase of a 1968 Lincoln Continental sedan from Royal Motor Company in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions: Collection open to research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Please contact Research Services staff before visiting the James Madison University Special Collections Library to use this collection.

Use Restrictions: The copyright interests in this collection have been transferred to the James Madison University Special Collections Library. For more information, contact the Special Collections Library Reference Desk (library-special@jmu.edu).

David E. Shank was born August 21, 1889 in Broadway, Virginia to John F. and Elizabeth Zigler Shank. On September 20, 1916 he married Bertha Bateman Bare (1894-1984), also of Broadway. Shank helped to found the Virginia Milk Producers in 1922 and also organized Staunton’s Augusta Dairies in 1941. He held leadership positions with both organizations. Shank was active in his community, serving on the board of the Rockingham National Bank, the Rockingham Poultry Association, the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce, the Virginia Dairy Products Association, and the Washington, D. C. Dairy Council. Additionally, he was a member of the Asbury United Methodist Church and the Harrisonburg Rotary Club. Shank died March 18, 1972 at his winter home in St. Petersburg, Florida. He is buried at Woodbine Cemetery in Harrisonburg.

Royal Motor Company operated at 690 North Main Street in Harrisonburg from at least 1952 through 1980. They specialized in Lincoln and Mercury automobile products.

Scope and Content:

The David E. Shank Automobile Receipt, May 16, 1968, documents Shank’s trade-in of a 1964 Cadillac and subsequent purchase of a 1968 Lincoln Continental sedan from Royal Motor Company in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The receipt lists all of the optional equipment and accessories that were added to the car, including air conditioning, ivy gold heritage roof, power door locks, and tinted glass. The full purchase price for the 1968 Lincoln continental was $7,434.20. With 31,000 miles, the trade-in value of Shank’s 1964 Cadillac was $3,034.20.